Okay, so I’ve been feeling kinda stuck lately. You know that feeling? Like you’re spinning your wheels but not really going anywhere cool? Happens to me way too often. Been trying to launch this side project – just a little app idea I’ve had noodling around – but kept getting sidetracked. Then I stumbled across this talk by Niels Hoffmann. Honestly, never heard of him before, but the title grabbed me: “Stop Busywork, Start Winning.” Sounded exactly like what I needed.
Drowning in the “Doing”
My desk? Total garbage dump. Or, more accurately, my task list. I’d sit down to work, open my computer, and immediately feel overwhelmed. I had like twenty browser tabs open, sticky notes everywhere – reminders to email people back, research obscure topics, clean up my files… basically a recipe for doing absolutely nothing important for my project. Felt like I was “busy” all the time, but come Friday, I’d look back and think, “What the heck did I actually build or achieve?” Frustrating as hell. That was my starting point.
Lesson 1 Hack: Ruthlessly Cut the Crap
Hoffmann’s first point smacked me right between the eyes: stop doing useless stuff. Sounds obvious, right? But man, it hit home. I actually sat down with pen and paper (yeah, old school) and made two lists.
- List one: Things that directly helped my project. Like, actually coding a feature, designing a UI element, writing the core content.
- List two: Things that felt productive but weren’t. The big ones? Endlessly researching competitors (without applying anything!), tweaking my website color scheme for the hundredth time, constantly checking analytics for a site with zero traffic (!), and “organizing” my digital workspace for the umpteenth time.
Seeing it written down was painful. I realized easily 60% of my “work” time was crap from list two. My first action? I deleted or delegated a bunch of stuff. I shut down those research tabs, stopped the obsessive organizing, and told myself analytics checks are once a week ONLY. Felt brutal, but necessary.
Lesson 2 Action: Time Blocking Like My Life Depends On It
Lesson two was about focusing your effort. Hoffman is big on “deep work,” getting those uninterrupted chunks. My approach before? Anarchy. I’d jump between tasks whenever I felt like it. Terrible idea. This time, I grabbed my calendar app (doesn’t matter which one) and got ruthless.
I started blocking off solid 90-minute chunks twice a day, specifically for my project. First thing in the morning and early afternoon. Before I started, I’d quickly jot down the one single thing I needed to accomplish in that block. Then? I put my phone in another room, closed email and Slack, turned off notifications, and just started. Honestly, the first couple tries were rough – my brain kept wanting to wander to email or news sites. But I kept dragging it back. Used a timer – when it beeps, I stop, take a proper break (no screens!), then get back if it’s another block. This alone felt like rocket fuel.
Lesson 3 Tweak: Measure What Matters (To Me)
Hoffmann stressed measuring progress. But I think I misunderstood this at first. I started tracking stuff like “hours worked,” which felt… soulless and kinda pointless. Was an hour spent reorganizing files equally valuable as an hour building a key feature? Nope. So I switched it up.
I went super simple. At the end of each day, I ask myself: “What did I actually FINISH today that directly moves my project forward?”
- Built the login screen? ✔️ (Big win!)
- Fixed that bug? ✔️
- Wrote the intro copy? ✔️
- Spent 3 hours researching fonts? ❌ (Still useless)
Just writing down those one or two actual accomplishments feels way better. It shows me where my time actually went towards results.
Lesson 4 Mindset Shift: Cheer For the Tiny Victories
The final lesson was about celebration. This one seemed… well… soft? But I get it now. Starting something new is scary as heck, and it’s easy to get discouraged. Before, I’d hit a mini-milestone and immediately start stressing about the next ten steps. Hoffmann says STOP that.
My practice now? When I knock off one of those items I tracked (like finishing the login screen), I physically stop. Maybe just for five minutes. I get up, walk around, maybe grab a coffee. I actually say to myself, “Okay, that bit is DONE. Good job.” Seriously. Sounds cheesy, but acknowledging the tiny wins keeps me motivated. It prevents that feeling of constantly being behind. Small wins pile up.
So, What Now?
Been doing this for about three weeks now. Is it perfect? Hell no. Some days I still slip into old habits. But the difference? Night and day. My desk (physical and digital) is way less chaotic. Those deep work blocks? Game changer. Knowing what “real” progress looks like helps me feel less like a fraud. And acknowledging small wins? That actually makes the whole damn process less of a slog.
Am I suddenly Niels Hoffmann? Obviously not. But I am finally, truly moving on my project. Key features are getting built. Things I thought would take weeks are getting done in days. My brain doesn’t feel like mush every night. That feels like success to me right now. Gotta keep grinding, but this approach? Yeah, it’s working.
